Funder: Costume Society of America
Due Dates: November 1, 2026 (Application) | February 15, 2027 (Notification by) | June 30, 2028 (Project completion)
Funding Amounts: $1,600 per grant; one or more awards annually
Summary: Supports care, conservation, and instructional projects for college and university costume and textile collections, prioritizing underfunded collections.
Key Information: Institutions must legally own the collection and offer a degree program in apparel, textiles, or theatre.
Description
The Costume Society of America (CSA) supports the care, conservation, and instructional mission of college and university costume and textile collections. The program serves collections of historic, period, or otherwise informative objects preserved for study, with strong preference for collections receiving little or no institutional financial support. First awarded in 2006, the annual grant is now funded by the CSA Endowment.
Projects should address a collection’s most pressing needs and make a substantial beneficial impact. Supported work includes purchasing appropriate supplies or display items, engaging consultants or specialists, and other projects directly supporting collection care or use. The program considers the collection’s role in research, teaching, and exhibition, its significance to the academic unit, and the feasibility and impact of the proposed work.
